Once a quiet club with scattered meetings and a handful of members, the Masters debate team has exploded into one of the most energized groups on campus this year. With a record number of 63 club members, their meetings buzz with students eagerly practicing debate drills under the guidance of their student leaders and new coach Nicholas Moore, a Masters alumnus from the class of 2019.
Returning to his alma mater, Moore brings a passion for debate and a sense of structure to the team he founded as a student. “Starting the team was one of my proudest achievements as a student, but seeing it thrive today feels even better,” Moore said. Now, with Moore at the helm, the team is committed to inclusivity and growth. “Debate is inherently equitable,” he explained.
The team’s rapid growth in size led to meetings being moved to the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) to accommodate the increased turnout. Sessions now feature drills, structured mini-debates and a focus on debate fundamentals.
Sophomore Arlo Goldberg, a novice team member, noted the difference: “I remember last year it was so unorganized. At some of the meetings, there would be three people there. This year, it’s grown so much that we had to move to the IEC.”
The growth is seen not just in numbers but in performance. From Oct. 18 to Oct. 20, Masters debaters competed at the Bronx Science Invitational Tournament. Next month, the team is gearing up for two groups heading to the Princeton Invitational and the Tournament of Champions Digital Debate from Dec. 6 to Dec. 8.
The debate team has also launched a new mentorship program, pairing varsity debaters with novice members for guidance beyond regular meetings. Moore explained the goal of this program is to facilitate learning among novice members.
“We felt that having one more point of contact between club officers and students who are seeking to develop their skills as quickly as possible, might really help improve their performances,” he said.
Senior captain Max Lovitt and junior captain Isabella Levine are committed to making debate purposeful and engaging. Levine expressed her appreciation for Moore’s mentorship, saying, “It’s been amazing to have him as a coach, and for him to be there as somebody to sit down with you, help you and encourage you, but also push you and work with you to improve.”
Levine emphasized that the debate team’s accessibility is one of its greatest strengths. She said, “You can walk into debate with a laptop, a piece of paper, pen, and you can become a star debater, so I think that debate as an activity is an incredible place to learn.”
